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Contents

                  Alternative Strategies to become an Employer of Choice

                  WorkChoices: Company Employment Policies

                  Labour Market Trends

                  Hobart Summer Festival

Alternative Strategies to become an Employer of Choice

Introducing workplace strategies that promote modern work practices and a work-life balance will assist employers to attract and retain skilled workers to support the growth and sustainability of their business.

6.            Outsourcing to help balance workloads, bring in new skills (temps/ contract labour)

7.            Communication methods across the organization (think-tanks)

8.            Review leadership style and effectiveness

9.            Review work processes and flexibility in the workplace against strategic objectives

10.        Review AWAs and Common Law Contracts

11.        Review recruitment and selection policies and procedures

• skilled HR helping line management to hire better people

•  innovative hiring practices by forming employment contracts for talented employees

• generating referral networks, web based recruiting

• internal employee referral incentive bonus

• Job analysis (helps to support the selection and performance processes)

• Checking the validity of selection methods (improving interview techniques, introducing psychometric tests)

• Recruit and select on Key Competencies and past performance

12.        Motivation through review of job enrichment (achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement and also company policy and administration / technical supervision)

13.        Review culture and commitment through an internal Climate Survey

14.        Make development of HR a vital part of the business

15.        Review reward and recognition scheme (its not only money)

16.        Review the staff age groups that make up your workforce (Generation X, Y and Baby Boomers, recognize how you satisfy generational differences)

17.        Review induction and on the job training procedures and policy, complete probation catch ups, provide honest feedback, monitoring performance assessment processes

18.        Implement and review more preventative OH&S policies and procedures (outsource?) and see if there have been any concerns in the workplace with bullying or harassment

19.        Employ external auditing – risk management and quality systems

20.        Analyse the capacity and capability of current employees, competency analysis using the ANTA National Standards and Competencies is a useful technique

The Tasmanian Government is encouraging businesses who practice modern work strategies and promote a work-life balance to enter the 2007 Employer of Choice Awards. Applications close February 23, 2007. Details are available from the Department of Economic Development www.development.tas.gov.au.

At Searson Buck we encourage the introduction of workplace strategies which promote a supportive environment for all staff. If you consider your organisation as an employer of choice and wish to share your innovative and supportive approaches to employment, or if you need help to get there, please give us a call.

WorkChoices: Company Employment Policies

Courts and industrial tribunals are increasingly holding companies to their word when it comes to the content of their internal employment policies particularly where policies are incorporated into the contract of employment.

Some employers don’t consider policies as legally binding but judges are increasingly looking at what policies say when things go wrong in the workplace.

Whilst WorkChoices reforms have dramatically reduced the scope for unfair dismissal claims, non adherence to policies could be vital evidence when employees make common law claims against their employers.

Recently the Federal Court awarded a former employee who was dismissed whilst on sick leave $515,000. The employee had become stressed and severely depressed amid claims of stealing clients from other staff and harassment. The Federal Court judge found the employer breached the contract of employment when it failed to take into account certain elements of its “Working with Us” policy, including its health and safety obligations and grievance policy.

The judge noted that the Working with Us policy stated that “… the team will work together to prevent any unwelcome, uninvited and unwanted conduct which makes another team member feel offended, humiliated or intimidated in any work-related situation and where that reaction is reasonable in the circumstances”.

The clear warning from the courts arising out of this case and similar judgments is that if you don’t follow your own policies then you do it at considerable risk. Compliance with policies where they are incorporated into the contract of employment is as important as compliance with legislation, and where this does not occur presents unacceptable risk.

So be careful as an employer in what policies you incorporate into the contract and those you don’t. If you need advice or help, we can assist you in reviewing your employees’ contracts of employment to see if they refer to policies you may not necessarily be adhering to, or to policies that you wish to exercise discretion over.

Searson Buck’s People Performance Division Manager, James O’Neill specialises in Industrial Relations and Employment Law, and his wealth of experience and knowledge makes him one Tasmania’s leaders in this vital area of business.

For more information in regards to this article contact James O’Neill,

at Searson Buck on (03) 6223 3055.

Labour Market Trends

New study debunks myth of inflexible mature-aged workers

A new study shows that many mature-aged workers are committed to up-skilling and are prepared to pay for their own training.  The independent study, carried out by BIS Shrapnel was commissioned by PLUS40, a national employment, training and advocacy service for Australian workers aged 40 years and over.

It found that two thirds of workers aged between 40 and 60 years have completed training relevant to their career. Of this group, full-time employees were more likely (69 per cent) to have taken such training compared with part-time staff (59 per cent).

"Given the worsening skills crisis in Australia, this is encouraging news," PLUS40 director Paul Dickinson said.

The study also showed that 67 per cent of older workers were willing to self-fund training to improve their chances of finding a job.

The ABS has forecast that over 85 per cent of all new employment growth will be from the 40 plus age-group.

Hobart Summer Festival   The Hobart Summer Festival is the biggest annual festival in Tasmania, with over two hundred and fifty thousand people visiting the Taste of Tasmania alone.   This year Searson Buck had the honour of presenting a major component of the Hobart Summer Festival, the Jazz in the Park Concert with James Morrison, Joe Chindamo and Recliner.

The 2007 concert was the second Jazz in the Park event, and already it has a huge following with eager fans from all walks of life attracted to a world class concert in St David’s Park.   

Searson Buck was keen to become involved with the Hobart Summer Festival and Jazz in the Park in particular because to us it symbolizes our ability to do something of quality in a setting of world class tranquility in the middle of a capital city, working with limited resources and a small scale budget but producing an outcome that exceeds expectations.  As Tasmania’s largest human resources firm, the fit is ideal, working with people is our business and of course many of our clients and staff love jazz!

We were especially excited about offering many of our loyal clients the opportunity of being part of a fantastic event, and even meeting James Morrison in person.

And what about the weather!  As we are all too aware Tasmania has been in the grip of one of the worst droughts in history, however, after all the dry weather, the drought broke on the morning of Saturday the sixth of January – the day of the concert.

As the day progressed with non stop rain and possible cancellation, we made a call at 3.00pm and told the Hobart City Council to go ahead, and as luck (and prayers) would have it the rain stopped just before the concert began.

Over 1200 dedicated jazz fans enjoyed a great concert by James and the band. Searson Buck staff and management had the pleasure of hosting over eighty guests in the corporate hospitality area, with great food and excellent Tasmanian wines.

Searson Buck is looking forward to presenting next year’s Event in the Park, maybe something with a different tune in 2008?